Postal Strike Returns to Toronto

4,500 postal workers join picket lines

For Immediate Release

Ottawa – The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) rotating strikes returned to Toronto this evening. Members of the Toronto local working in the following locations walked off the job at 7 pm (ET):

• Gateway
• South Central Letter Processing Plant
• West Parcel Delivery Hub
• VISTA/AMF (Pearson Airport)
• National Equipment Container Facility
• 300 Courtney Park
• Gateway (West Trans and South Trans)
• Kestrel Road Distribution Centre
• Bradco Boulevard

“After more than ten months of negotiations, the intervention of two mediators and two weeks of rotating strikes, Canada Post’s true coulours are emerging,” says Mike Palecek, CUPW National President. “The lofty rhetoric of wanting to work with us to reach fair agreements for our workers is turning out to be nothing more than smoke and mirrors. It needs to be said: Canada Post talks the talk, but doesn’t walk the walk.”

CUPW has called on a national overtime ban for both of its major bargaining units at Canada Post. Postal workers, no matter what their job at Canada Post, will not work more than an eight-hour day and not more than a 40-hour week. ‘’Overburdening, overtime and overwork are all major issues in this round of bargaining. Until Canada Post negotiators’ address it, we can solve it for ourselves in the meantime,” says Palecek.

CUPW members are still without agreements for the Urban Postal Operations and Rural and Suburban Mail Carriers (RSMC) bargaining units after almost a year of negotiations.

-30-

For more information, please contact: 

EN – Emilie Tobin, CUPW Communications, at 613-882-2742 or at  media@cupw-sttp.org

FR – Lise-Lyne Gélineau, President, CUPW Montreal local, at 514-914-0350 or at lise-lyne.gelineau@sttpmtl.com